


Freedom

by justgottabehonest



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Brotherly Bonding, Dragons, F/M, I warned you about the major character death, I'm Sorry, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Motherfucking Dragons, Multi Chapter, Slow Burn, Swearing, background klance, i'm so bad at tags, shallura - Freeform, shitty poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 00:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9941114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justgottabehonest/pseuds/justgottabehonest
Summary: Disgraced Knight Shiro leads a rag-tag team of fighters in his quest to defeat Emperor Zarkon and restore the Altean Kingdom.





	1. Legend Told

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story is my first kinda long story for Voltron, it's gonna be a long kinda thing, but I promise it's well worth it. And, sorry for the poem, it's just I tried so hard to make it sound old-timey. The first chapter is kinda short, but I'll try and post weekly for it. I promise there will be a lot of fighting and a lot of Shallura. And a touch of klance, we have to make it a tad bit gay.

_Altea the beautiful land_

_Ruled by a righteous man_

_Was lost to ambition_

_The Empire arose in the West_

_And the princess pristine in rest_

_Guarded by the magician_

_Legend has it said_

_To raise Altea from the dead_

_There will be knight with a devil’s arm_

_To the Galra he will roam_

_And he will restore the Altean Throne_

_And put an end to Zarkon’s harm._

    Shiro wasn’t the first to hear the poem, he wasn’t the first to sent off in hopes of taking down the Galra empire, he wasn’t the first with a, “devil’s arm,” but; he is the first to go back.  His stomach churns despite its emptiness, and the darkness of the forest gets darker with the shadows of memories he struggles to forget.  

    How long was it that he was there in the prison?  A year?  A century? The fighting, the famine, the death, the blood, the trickle of light through his cell that kept him sane because at least he could imagine the warmth of the sun, it all haunts him in his times of solitude.  The battlefield, that was so easy for him to forget, slaying the man-beasts that threaten his country was like a service he was providing.  Facing another human against his will was another, forcing him to fight his brothers of battle…  Hell has more mercy than that place did.

    As much as he likes to tell himself it was what he had to do to live, to get out, to be able to come back and save everyone, he still hears the tearing and searing of flesh ringing in his ears.  His right arm, taken and swapped like a changeling weighs him down, pulling his heart.  This journey of his might be in vain, how could he risk being thrown back in again?  How could one man accomplish such a perilous endeavor?  

    The thought of seeing no more war, the sound of the galloping horses is one of the few things that keeps him from losing his nerve, “Shiro…” the mildly sleepy voice of his companion, Keith, pulls his attention and determination, “are we really doing this?”  

    Shiro doesn’t immediately respond, he just looks at Keith.  The brother he never had and the hopes he has for the boy’s future.  The thought of Keith not having to die in battle is what keeps him going the most. “ _I’m_ really doing it,” he smiles, letting his own light hearted tone alleviate his heavy heart.  “I told you to stay in the village.”

    Keith stretches, leaning up away from the neck of his horse he was resting on, “I was never really good at taking orders, you know that.”  The boy’s dark indigo eyes glance up towards the starry sky, but there is no flash of recognition to the constellations above him.  “We are really doing it.  We’re gonna try and save her.”

Shiro chuckles, “The Galra have been around since before my grandfather was alive, I’ve told you before there is no princess to save, only Zarkon to take down.”

He frowns, “If Zarkon is still alive after all this time, why can’t the princess be?”

“Why do you care about a silly princess, Keith?” He turns his full attention to his companion. “Do you have plans to marry the poor, trapped, maiden?”

“Of course not,” he scoffs and slumps back down onto his horse, “I just thought it would be the best way to get back at him…  After everything he’s done to the lands, everything he’s done to keep his power, the crown will go to who it was intended to go in the first place.  There’s gotta be some major justice in that, right?”

“You’re right…  definitely,” Shiro chuckles.  “But, that princess bit will have to come after I stop Zarkon.  She’d only get in the way, you know how nobles are.”

Keith shoots an amused glare, “I never got past knights training, you know that.”

“And a damn shame, too, you were the best among them.  Then again, only a handful earn knighthood these days…  Even fewer live to keep it,” Shiro glances at his arm under his cloak, the right hand that holds the reign has no feeling to it.  The damned thing holds a memory that is far too hazy. Stumbling into the castle, the maids shrieking in fear of the beaten and bruised man, and then waking up to doctors and priests looking horrified at his arm.  The recollection gets clearer as they throw him into a cell, the priest reads him his writes while the Captain denounces his knightship.  All for something he had no control over, the thing that was forced upon him. Keith showing up before they could hang him….

“Hey,” Keith calls for Shiro to look at him, “you’re still a Knight, Shiro.  As much as they try and say you’re not, you’re more of a Knight than any of those losers.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” He tries to make it sound as sincere as possible.  “Now, go back to sleep, I’m going to need you to help navigate in the morning.”


	2. The Blue Knight of the Western Boarder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Now things are getting going! Time to meet the rest of the crew!

Sleep is something like an odd, estranged, family member to Shiro.  He doesn't get to meet with sleep often, sometimes he doesn't want to, other times he can't quite seem to catch it.  When he does finally meet with it, sleep welcomes him readily with open arms and doesn't let him go for awhile.  And it's nice, like any meeting with family, the first ten minutes seem to go beautifully; then it all takes a turn for the worse.

Nightmares, some of the prison, some of the battlefield, some seeing himself be hanged.  Now, in all his night terrors, there's that hunched woman lurking in the shadows.  She sneers, she laughs, her purple features radiate all kinds of evil.  No matter how hard he might fight, how hard he might run, she's there.  She there and she wont leave, he can't fight her, he can't beg hard enough to be left alone.  The witch just keeps taunting him over and over, " _You were my best creation, my champion._ "

He jolts awake, pulling on the reigns of his horse so hard that the poor pony whinnies in terror.  Keith quickly stops his own horse, looking around to see what could've made his friend stop, "Shiro!"

"Wha-  Where am I?" his eyes squint in the sunlight, his back aching slightly from being hunched over his horse.  The surroundings aren't what he remembers last, this isn't his childhood home, not his castle living quarters, not his troop's camp, not the prison, and not even the castle dungeon.  The area is too green and full of life, not something he is completely used to.   He breathes in a deep breath of forest air to calm his beating heart.  "Oh...  Right."

"Hey, are you okay?" Keith asks with worry apparent in his voice.

"Yeah... Just a bad dream," he replies softly.

"You have a lot of those, you know."

Shiro meets with Keith's eyes, seeing that look of concern pulling on the youth's features.  Keith's far from stupid, Shiro knows that, but the boy could never understand what he's been through, there's no point in sharing it with him.  "I'm fine...  What we really need to do is give the horses a rest."  The Knight pulls his stead to stop and Keith follow suit.  He listens keenly to the woods around him and his eyes survey the area carefully.  The path is over grown, there is not chronic roar of insects, it's like everything around them is completely still.  "We're definitely in the West.  We should dismount and find the nearest river to let our horses rest."

"Why is everything so quiet here?" Keith asks with a grunt while dismounting his stead.  "Why are there no patrols?"

"There might be a few Knights and wayward magicians roaming the forest, along with the occasional Galra Sentry."  Shiro gracefully slides of his horse, "There hasn't been any fighting here or guard because no one dares pass Mt. Sendak.  That's where the Galra stronghold, the prison and former Castle of Lions is.  None of the Kingdoms alone have the might to take on the place, but the pride of the Kings keeps them from uniting to defeat them.  That's how the Galra are slowly surrounding us from the North and South."

"You know I know that, right?" Keith scoffs, reaching up to gently stroke the mane of his horse.

Shiro shrugs, grasping the reigns to pull his horse forward, "You weren't the best student."

"And you were?"

"Obviously," Shiro chuckles.  Keith doesn't dare smile, but he can't hide the amusement in his eyes as he follows Shiro down the path.  Keith's eyes roam around, taking in the look of the land.  This is the farthest he's even been from his home, the closest he's been to the enemy.  The silence, the quiet, he enjoys it a lot more than he thought he would; being along for the ride with his hero is a bonus.

Keith recalls his entrance into the Knight's Academy, seeing the portrait of, "Shiro the White," in the spot of honor next to the portraits of headmasters, kings, and generals.  Everyone in the Kingdom thought Shiro would lead some breakthrough in the war effort, Keith included.  Keith grew up in the same village as the White Knight, he wanted to be just like him for so long...  Then, Shiro disappeared.  Anger and sadness clouded his mind.  " _Solider_!" his instructors shouted at him, " _What kind of man are you who doesn't sacrifice himself for his country_!" 

Keith, Keith couldn't keep his mouth shut, " _A man that lives!"_

Dishonorable discharge, sent home in shame.  Shunned, bullied, outcasted, as if they didn't do that to him before when Shiro wasn't around to kick some kindness into his neighbors.  That's all in the past now, he doesn't need a country to sacrifice his life for.  He here for Shiro, to save the world.

The Knight in front of the youth stops, his horse whining in confusion. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Keith asks.

They both strain their eyes, waiting for any sound to pierce the stillness of the trees.  Keith wonders for a second if Shiro actually heard anything at all, if his mind was playing tricks on him.  It wouldn't be the first time Shiro had seen a phantom in the daylight, Keith wondered if he lost his mind we he first recued Shiro.  He thought that the Knight had gotten better, but he still feared that he might relapse. 

Yet, the sound of crunching bark is very, very real.  "Get down!"

Keith may have lost a hair from the arrow that went by his head burying itself with a sickening _thunk_ into the tree he was in front of, ducking behind the nearest oak, his heartbeat races.  Shiro, on the other hand, was not hiding so adamantly.  Yes, he had taken some shelter near his horse, but his head was still open for an unseen archer.  "Show yourself!  We are not from the West!"

Stillness, no response, "Shiro!"  Keith calls to him, "What are you doing?!  We're under attack."

"Look at the arrow," he replies calmly.  Keith lets out an exasperated huff, carefully leaning around his cover to see the arrow that nearly killed him.  The wood of the shaft is dark brown, the fletchings are painted blue feathers, and the knock looks to be lead.  "Does that look like a Galra arrow?"

From the trees in front of him a voice filters out, cocky, yet young sounding, "Well, at least you guys aren't dumb!  Identify yourself or be killed, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill!"

Keith feels like he's heard the voice before, like maybe the sound of it had given him a headache before.  "I am Keith, of Shedtown.  I am traveling with Shiro the White!  We're on a quest!"

Both travelers jump at the sound of a voice behind them, "Wait.  Shiro?  Like the guy on the wall at the Academy?  The leader of the Kerberos Quest?"

Yet another voice, this one sounding lighthearted and deeper than the previous, "Whoa!  Lance, I think that's Keith from the Academy, too!  You hate that guy!"

"Excuse me?" Keith questions, confusion building in his gut.  The youth swears he's heard these voices before.

The first voice lets out a frustrated sigh, "Hunk!  Don't just yell my name!"

"You just yelled mine!"  The voice of Hunk protests.

"I-just..." Lance lets out more vocal frustration.  "Whatever!  Pidge, drop the spell!"

" _Nubes!_ " The words carries a physical weight on Shiro and Keith's ears.  It feels like a fog is being cleared around them, next their horses, a large yellow-cloaked youth carefully inspects the ponies.  How did Shiro not even feel his presence?  A few meters to their front, a man in trademark Knight's armor and blue ornaments stands with a crossbow in his hand, no longer pointed at them.  Keith glances around to find the source of the third member of the knight's party.  When he glances behind him, he his greeted with glasses and brown eyes.

"Gah!" Keith exclaims taking a step towards his horse and grabbing at the sword on his waist.

"Sorry!" Pidge chuckles, "But, I'm just struggling to remember who you are.  Thought I'd get a closer analysis."  Keith just grunts, not caring enough to dignify that with a response.

The Knight from the tree comes to the ground, holstering the crossbow to his back, and walking up to address Shiro.  The tanned skinned boy looks Shiro up and down, the serious expression melts off with a kind smile as he takes to one knee.  "Forgive me,  Sir Shiro the White, I didn't recognize you without your armor.  I am very great and very humble Sir Lance, the Blue Knight of the Western Border, and honored to be of service to you."

"No one calls him that," Hunk states honestly while stroking the white fur of Shiro's horse.  "Don't call him that."

Lance's face turns inconceivably red. "HUNK COULD YOU NOT!"

 Hunk shrugs, "What?  It's true," he offers a smile at the travelers, "I'm Hunk, a Monk from the Southern Monastery.  Our little magician here is Kathryn of Holt."

The magician circles around the tree to join her friends, "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't use that name anymore?" She crosses her arms and looks over at Shiro.  "Call me Pidge, I was trained in the Gunderson Temple in the North before I obtained my legal permit to practice at the Knight's Academy."

Lance stands up, trying to regain some composer despite his friend's mocking.  "They are under my charge as protector of this sector of the Border.  Anyway, I would like to apologize for shooting at you guys.  Recently, I've been told to tighten up my watch, to regard everyone not known to me as a threat to my Lord's land.  Apparently some dishonored Knight escaped their capture and may be trying to conceal themselves here."

Shiro laughs, glancing over at Keith to see he's glaring intently at Lance; partly for the news that there is a warrant out for Shiro, partly because he didn't apologize to Keith directly.  "Well...  Then I have some things I'd like to discuss with you, Sir Lance.  Would you mind taking us somewhere that we can rest our horses?"

Lance blinks for a second, looking absolutely star struck at Shiro.  Pidge rolls her eyes at the display, letting out a cough to try and get Lance to speak.  "What....  Oh!  Yeah!  Yeah, of course!  Sir Shiro, I'd be happy to take you to our base of operations!"

Keith, having about enough of the tomfoolery that the Knight is displaying, snaps at him sharply, "Alright, can we just get to it, then?"

Lance stiffens, taking a few composed steps towards Keith, "Is that anyway to talk to a Knight, _dropout_?"

The paler youth doesn't back down, "Look, whatever-your-name-is, you've already wasted enough of our time as it is.  Also, honestly, I have no respect for a Knight who doesn't face me head on with a blade and that guards a dead-zone devoid of danger."

The Knight uses his few inches on Keith to pointedly look down on him.  In his dark blues, there seems to be tension, like an old spring that's been wound up for awhile now.  "My name is Lance!  You know that, and if you remember, I wasn't the best at swordmanship, it's why we were rivals back in the day.  And this area is hardly a dead-zone, you have no idea the things we have to do out here!"

He scoffs at him, "Rivals?  I don't remember having a rival."

Lance eyes widen in confusion, and somehow the silent forest gets quieter.  "Ohhhh snap." Hunk whispers and proceeds to cover his mouth to emphasize the drama.  Back at the Knight's Academy, Lance always saw himself as chasing after Keith's tail, fighting him as hard as he could during their training, and his only victory was the fact that he made it through and not Keith.  For him not to even remember Lance is infuriating to say the least. 

"Whatever," he pulls his cross bow off his back, turning away from Keith t start walking, "we need to get moving so that my party can rest up for dusk.  You tripped one of Pidge's sensors and that's how we found you, we typically don't come out during the day unless it's to hunt for food."

"Lance, why'd you whip out the cross bow?" Hunk asks while grabbing the rein's of both men's horses.

"Because I need to shoot something or else I just might shoot Keith." Lance replies bitterly.

While the others start to follow, Keith stays put to glare at Lance. "You missed the first time."

" _I don't miss_!" Lance retorts back without turning around.

Shiro sighs, being just about done with the boy's quarrel.  "Okay, okay.  Can you two please settle down. Now isn't the time."

"I'm going to apologize for Lance right now," Pidge hops up to sit on one of the horses, "he's incapable of settling down."

The Blue Knight groans, completely giving up looking cool in front of Shiro. 

The trek to their base isn't long, in fact the brisk walk is rather refreshing for Shiro himself; but, the walk isn't as enjoyable for Keith.  Every few paces, Lance would stop (sometimes he wouldn't stop completely) and take aim and fire.  The cry of an animal, sometimes, a sickening thunk and the squelch of flesh.  Pidge mutters a spell under her breath, and whatever animal was murdered would fly towards them and gather into a green orb with it's fellow forest creatures near Pidge's feet.  Every time Lance let his arrow fly, he'd hit something, the distance didn't seem to matter.  Keith became very aware of the head on his shoulders, and Lance's echoing words. " _I don't miss!"_

Eventually, they come to a small cabin, nestled humbly between a large boulder and an even larger tree.  There were lines filled with drying laundry, a extensive cooking pit, and various pigeons hopping and fluttering about.  "Well, this is it," says Lance.  "Pidge, mind helping Hunk with food while I talk inside with these guys?"

"Yeah, sure, oh fearless leader," she says rolling her eyes.  "I hate when you get all bossy whenever we have company."

"Come on, don't be like that," he says sincerely. He holsters his weapon yet again and walks over to her and Hunk, keeping his voice lower.  Even so, the young Knight's voice still carries through the silent forest. "We're a team, it's been like that for years.  No leaders, just friends.  But, you know our stupid laws dictate I'm suppose to be in charge.  So, I'm sorry but I gotta be a bit more demanding.  Okay?"

"We get it," Hunk smiles and Pidge also softens a bit as well. Shiro and Keith are both a bit astonished at the display.  Knights were the law when it came to small outfits like this, they were of the state and pledged themselves to the King and his Land Lord; magicians and monks pledge themselves to other things like a God other than the King's God, or nature itself.  Let alone the fact that they used tactics that are widely considered to be dirty and unethical.   Knights are trusted with more command for these reasons alone.  To not see a Knight exhibit total control over his charges is unheard of.  Shiro has seen a range of Knights that would beat magicians and monks for disobeying an order, very few actually cared for the opinions of their fighters.  Shiro himself respected the ones that were placed on him; even then the chain of command was always crystal clear.

"These guys are weird...." Keith comments.

"True," Shiro grins at him, "but, honestly, I think this team is quite nice."

Lance starts heading towards the door of the cabin once again. "Alright, we can talk in here."

The two travels follow through the threshold.  The ambience is extremely warm and cozy.  A few portraits are hung up next to shelves of various spell books, novels and magic storage jars.  Keith realizes that they're portraits of families, the largest one being of Lance's; they're several kids and adults gathered together, it looks like some spots had to be painted over several times to account for moving children, and, at the bottom, there's a small silver plaque that reads, " _Lord McClain and Company_."

Shiro tears himself away from the painting he was starring at, prompting Keith to do the same, and takes a seat across from Lance on the other side of the room.  Keith, still not trusting the Blue Knight, stays standing with his arms crossed.  Lance is sitting comfortably, beaming at Shiro with his dark blue eyes.  "So!  What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"We're heading West." Shiro and Keith state at the same time.  Shiro gives him a look that the youth knows as a sign to keep quiet.  Keith should've known better than to speak at the moment; the "White Knight," has the most rapport with the young knight, and Keith is overall inexperienced with people in general. 

"West?" Lance's brows furrow together.  "Why?"

The man takes a deep breath, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and staring the Blue Knight down as kindly as he could, "Yes and no...  Lance, earlier you mention that there was a warrant out for a dishonored knight, am I correct?"

"Yeah..."

"That warrants for me," Shiro explains as delicately as possible.  He holds up his right arm, the cloak falling away from it to show Lance the monstrosity in plain sight.  "This arm, was not made by god, but the Galra.  The Church and the King want nothing to do with a Knight with a demons arm..."

 Lance's features raise in alarm.  The young traveler stiffens, ready for the boy to attack, but Lance doesn't budge and he inhales a deep breath.  "I, uh, I should probably arrest you, or something..."

"We wont resist," he replies.  Keith opens his mouth to protest, only to be silenced by Shiro holding up a hand to quiet him again.  "You've done nothing to prove to me that you're a malicious man.  If you feel like arresting us is the best course of action, we will go quietly."

Lance runs his hands through his hair, staring down at his feet.  A pregnant pause radiates through the small living room, all Keith wants to do is grab Shiro and run; but, he can't help but wonder if Lance is really going to go through with arresting them.  "Why are you fleeing West?  It isn't safe there."

The former knight chuckles half-heartedly, "Hope, I guess...  You know the old poem, right?"

"One about the Altean princess?  Are you seriously going to try and take on Zarkon?" he asks incredulously.

"Yeah," Keith breaks his silence, "we are.  It's the only chance we have at saving Shiro and ending the war."

"End the war..." The Blue Knight's eyes flicker with something that Shiro can't quiet understand.  "It's a suicide mission!"

"Then why not help us?" Shiro offers.

Keith's heart jumps in his chest, "Shiro-"

He cuts him off, "The poem never specified that the, 'knight with the devil's arm,' will work by himself.  You are a highly skilled archer, one of the best I've ever seen.  Pidge's camouflage incantation is of an extremely high caliber.  If Hunk is half as skilled as the both of you guys, then as a team we'd be unstoppable."

"A team..." Lance smiles, "A team to stop the war?"

"Yeah, you've got it," Keith is already imagining traveling with this guy and hating every second of it.

The Blue Knight rises to his feet, "Okay, Shiro!  I, Lance the Blue Knight, will abandon my post and gladly pledge my charges and myself to your noble cause!"

"You sure?" Keith asks.

"If it's to stop the war, I'll do anything."

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'" Eleanor Roosevelt.


End file.
